Equality PA Makes Endorsements

Equality PA endorses Brian Sims for state house. If elected, he would become the first openly gay legislator in the state (courtesy of Sims for PA)

Equality Pennsylvania announced its list of endorsed candidates this week in time for the primary April 24. The LGBT organization not only made endorsements in races for Attorney General and Auditor General, but also State legislative and congressional seats across Pennsylvania.

“We have candidates we are supporting from across the state, from the big cities to the rural center, and all of these people, if elected, will be strong advocates for the LGBT community,” says Adanjesus Marin, chair of the organization’s 501c4 board. “We urge all our members to vote for these exceptional candidates.”

The group also endorsed five openly gay candidates seeking state legislative offices this year.

“In a state that has never seen an openly gay legislator, it is encouraging to see five well-qualified openly LGBT candidates seeking the opportunity to serve, and all in the same year,” says Adrian Shanker, president of Equality Pennsylvania. They include: Roy Christ (Dauphin County), Jeff Dahlander (Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming), Chris Dietz (Dauphin), Kelly McEntee (Dauphin) and Brian Sims (Philadelphia County). Pennsylvania has never had an openly gay state legislator.

In addition to the endorsements below, Equality Pennsylvania urges the community to support President Obama’s openly gay delegate candidates: Gary Van Horn (14th Congressional District), Mark Segal (1st Congressional District) and Equality Pennsylvania’s President Adrian Shanker (15th Congressional District).

Here’s the full list:

Patrick Murphy, a supporter of the DADT repeal, is running for attorney general (courtesy of Murphy for PA)

Barack Obama, Incumbent, President of the United States of America

Patrick Murphy, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Eugene DePasquale, Auditor General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Roy Christ, Pennsylvania House – 103rd District (Dauphin)

Jeff Dahlander, Pennsylvania House – 111th District (Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming)

Eugene DePasquale, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House – District 95 (York)

Chris Dietz, Pennsylvania House – 104th District (Dauphin)

Kelly McEntee, Pennsylvania House – 105th District (Dauphin)

Linda Small, Pennsylvania House – 93rd District (York)

Sarah Speed, Pennsylvania House – 47th District (York)

Gene Stilp, U.S. Congress – 11th District (Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin, Luzerne, Northumberland, Perry)

Rob Teplitz, Pennsylvania Senate – 15th District (Dauphin, York)

Lehigh Valley:?Leslie Altieri, Pennsylvania House – 138th District (Northampton)

Kevin Deely, Pennsylvania House – 131st District (Lehigh, Northampton)

Jackson Eaton, U.S. Congress – 15th District (Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton)

Joseph Hass, Pennsylvania House – 187th District (Berks, Lehigh)

Michael Schlossberg, Pennsylvania House – 132nd District (Lehigh)

Judy Schwank, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 11th District (Berks)

Beth Alois, Pennsylvania House – 168th District (Chester, Delaware)

Sheamus Bonner, Pennsylvania House – 163rd District (Delaware)

Kathryn Boockvar, U.S. Congress – 8th District (Bucks, Montgomery)

Michelle Brownlee, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House – 195th District (Philadelphia)

Madeline Dean, Pennsylvania House – 153rd District (Montgomery)

Kelly Devine, Pennsylvania House – 150th District – (Montgomery)

Paul Drucker, Pennsylvania House – 157th District – (Chester, Montgomery)

Larry Farnese, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 1st District – (Philadelphia)

Joseph Frederick, Pennsylvania House – 143rd District (Bucks)

Vincent Hughes, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 7th District (Montgomery, Philadelphia)

Daylin Leach, Incumbent, Pennsylvania Senate – 17th District (Delaware, Montgomery)

Steve McCarter, Pennsylvania House – 154th District (Montgomery, Philadelphia)

Mark Painter, Pennsylvania House – 146th District (Montgomery)

Damon Roberts, Pennsylvania House – 186th District (Philadelphia)

Brian Sims, Pennsylvania House – 182nd District (Philadelphia)

Will Sylianteng, Pennsylvania House – 151st District (Montgomery)

Manan Trivedi, US Congress – 6th District (Berks, Chester, Lebanon, Montgomery, Chester)

Western Pennsylvania:?Missa Eaton, U.S. Congress – 3rd District (Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, Mercer)

Dan Frankel, Incumbent, Pennsylvania House, 23rd District (Allegheny)

Erin Molchany, Pennsylvania House – 22nd District (Allegheny)

Sean Wiley, Pennsylvania Senate – District 49 (Erie)

Equality Pennsylvania will offer additional endorsements in the general election. For more information, click here.